ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · bark · straw · root · saw · fall · chest · staff

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pit — a hole
  3. staff — employees
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — of a word
  6. pit — in a race
  7. root — the cause
  8. staff — a stick
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fall — the season
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. staff — employees
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chest — of your body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com